Apparatus for heating railway-cars



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APPARATUS FOR HEATING RAILWAY CARS. No. 474,417. 6% Patented May 10,1892.

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(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. (1.0. SEARLE. APPARATUS FOR HEATING RAILWAY CARS.

No. 474,417. Patentegl May 10, 1892.

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN Q. C. SEARLE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR HEATING RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 474,417, dated May 10,1892.

Application filed November 2, 1889. Serial No. 329,096. (No model.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN Q. C. SEARLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for HeatingRailway-Cars, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in car-heatingapparatus; and the invention consists in the peculiar application of asteam-heated liquid-circulating passage to the cross-over pipesconnecting the two sides of the heating apparatus, whereby the liquid isheated and circulated in a most expeditious manner and the heat is mostevenly distributed throughout the car.

It also embraces means whereby the steam after having been used forheating the liquid may at once be disposed of automatically, and therebyprevent the collection of condensed steam in the train-supply pipe orbranches thereof while the cars are being heated, and it embraces meanswhereby the accumulation of condensed steam in the train-supply pipe maybe prevented while any of the cars of the train are not being heated.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of myimproved heatingapparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan view of one of the steam-heatedliquid-circulating passages partly in section. Fig.3 is a transversesection of the car, showing the first steam-heated liquid-circulatingpassage, condensing-chamber, and steam-trap in section. Fig. 4 is atransverse section of the car, showing the second steam-heatedliquid-circulatin g passage 7,heating-pipes 1 and 2, and train-pipe 8,connected thereto.

The numerals 1 and 2 are the heating and circulating pipes upon thefirst and second sides of the car, connected by the cross-over pipes 3and 4.

5 is an expansion-drum for the expansion of the liquid when heated.

6 is a steam-heated liquid-circulating passage whose upper portioncommunicates with the outflow portion of the pipes 1, that heat thefirst side of the car, and its lower portion communicates by thecross-over pipe 4 with the pipes 2, that heat the second side of thecar.

7 is a steam-heated liquid-circulating passage whose lower portioncommunicates by means of the cross-over pipe 3 with the pipes l,thatheat one side of the car, and its upper portion communicates with thepipes 2, that heat the other side of the car and return the cooledliquid to the steam-heated circulatingpassage, from which the liquidbegins to circulate when heated. These steam-heated circulating-passagesU and 7 are applied one to each cross-over pipe and to thecirculatingpipes in such a way that the liquid when heated in thepassage 6 will pass out of the vertical portion 6 to the pipes 1, thatheat the first side of the car, and then be delivered by crossover pipe3 into the lower portion of liquid-circulating passage 7, from which itmay pass out of the vertical portion 7 to the pipes 2, that heat thesecond side of the car, and then be delivered into the lower portion ofthe steam-heated circulating-pas sage, from which the liquid begins tocirculate when heated.

8 is a train-supply pipe that communicates with asource of steam-supply.

9 isa branch pipe that communicates with the supply-pipe, and by meansof a'coil 10, (in the circulating-passage 6,) a pipe 11,condensing-chamber 12, and pipe 13 with a trap 14, into which thecondensed steam may pass; or the chamber 12 may be omitted and the pipe11 may be connected directly with the trap 14, from which the condensedsteam may automatically and periodically be discharged, and therebyprevent its accumulation in the con plings, train-pipe, and branch pipeswhile the car is being heated.

15 is an auxiliary branch pipe that communicates with the branchsteam-pipe 9 and with the pipe 11 and is controlled by a cock or valve16, whereby the condensed steam may pass through the pipe 11 to thechamber 12 and trap 14; or, if preferred, the chamber 12 may be omittedand the pipe 11 may be connected directly with the trap 14:, from whichthe condensed steam can be disposed of, as before described, .(withoutpassing through the steam-heated circulating-passage 6,) and therebyprevent the accumulation of condensed steam in the Supply-pipe andcouplings of one end while the car is. not being heated.

17 is a drain-pipe leading from the trap 14 and communicating with thechamber 12 by a pipe 18, which is provided with a cock 19, by which thecondensed steam may be drawn off and prevent freezing while the car isnot in service.

20 is a drain-pipe communicating with the trap 14 and pipe 17, and isprovided with a cock 21, by which the condensed steam therein may bedrawn off by hand and prevent freezing while the car is not in service.

The steam-heated circulating-passage 7, that is connected to thecross-over pipe 3, is provided with similar means for heating thecirculating liquid on the second side of the car should a strong windblowing against that side of the car make it necessary to have hotterpipes on that side than the liquid heated in the circulating-passage 6would alone produce. It is also provided with similar means'for removingthe condensed steam and to prevent its accumulation in the supply-pipeand couplings of that end of the car,

either while being heated or when the steam is shut off from thecirculating-passage 7. The course of the circulation is shown by thearrows.

B is a return train-pipe, which I make no claim to, and therefore omitany further description of it.

I am aware that it is not new to heat a circulating system by steam, norto force steam into a closed tank to be condensed and used again forheating purposes, nor to force it into an open tank to heat the waterand keep it from freezing and return it again to the circulating systemto be used as before. I am also aware that steam has been used to forcethe water from a circulating system into a tank above the heating-pipesto be held there while the car is not in use and is not being heated;but when again put in service the water in said tank has been returnedto the circulating-pipes to be used again to heat the car. I am alsoaware thata blow-out cock has been placed at the end of a train-pipe toblow the condensed steam through it onto the ground in a continuousstream while the car is in motion. My invention, however, is for anentirelydifferent purpose and operates in an entirely different manner.Instead of forcing the condensed steam into a tank to be used again orinto an open tank or trap to he returned and used again or blowing itthrough a single cock in a continuous stream at the rear of the train, Iprovide each car with one or more liquid-heating passages, which receivethe steam and condensings from the train -pipe and immediately andcontinuously deliver the same into a chamber or trap, where it remainsuntil enough has accumulated therein to cause an automatic'dischargelasting only a few moments, when the opening is again automaticallyclosed, thereby preventing any unnecessary Waste of steam, and as thisdischarge will take place at different intervals on the several cars ofthe train the train-pipe will be continually freed at different points,so that the steam will be as effective for use to heat the last car asfor the first car of the train.

Ido not claim, broadly, the use of steam for heating a circulatingliquid, nor for forcing the condensed steam into a tank to be usedagain, nor for blowing it out of the end of a train-pipe; but,

W'hatI claim as my invention is 1. In a car-heating apparatus, thecombination, with the liquid-circulating pipes that are located on theopposite sides of the car, of cross-over pipes located intermediate saidcirculating-pipes, steam-heated liquid-circulating passages located onopposite sides of the car, communicating with said cross-over pipes andwith said circulating-pipes, and a train-pipe for supplying steam toheat said liquid-circulating passages.

2. In a car-heating apparatus, the combination, With the train-pipe andliquid-circulating pipes that are located on the opposite sides of thecar, of crossover pipes located intermediate said circulating-pipes,steamheated liquid-circulating passages located on opposite sides of thecar, communicating with said cross-over pipes and with said circulatingpipes, an expansion -chamber located above and communicating with thecirculating system, branch pipes leading from the train-pipe to and inoperative contact with said steam-heated liquid-circulatin g passages, acook or valve in said branch pipes, and a chamber or trap fordischargingthe condensed steam while the car is being heated.

In a car-heating apparatus, the combination, with the train-pipe andliquid-circulating pipes that are located on the opposite sides of thecar, of cross-over pipes located intermediate said circulating-pipes,steamheated liquid-circulating passages located on opposite sides of thecar, communicating with said cross-over pipes and with saidliquidcirculating pipes, an expansion-chamber located above andcommunicating with the circulating system, branch pipes leading fromsaid train-pipe to and in operative contact with said steam heatedliquid circulating passages, an auxiliary branch pipe communicating withsaid train-pipe, a cook or valve in said auxiliary branch pipe, and achamber or trap for discharging the condensed steam when the car is notbeing heated.

4. In a car-heating apparatus, the combination, with theliquid-circulating pipes 1 and 2, the cross-over pipes 3 and 4,communicating With said liquid-circulating pipes, and the liquid heatingand circulating passages 6 and 7, communicating with said cross-overpipes, of the train-pipe 8 for supplying heat to the liquid heating andcirculating passages, a steam-trap 14, communicating with a liquidheating and circulating passage, and the valved branch pipe 15,communicating with said trap and with the train-pipe. JOHN o. o. SEARLE.

\Vitnesses:

O. E. POND, K. WILSON.

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